Why Have My Teeth Become So Yellow?

Yellow teeth are common and nothing to be ashamed of. However, most people would prefer if their teeth were pearly white. Read on to learn what causes the yellowing.

Have you ever smiled for a picture only to see yellow or stained teeth in your grin? Yellow teeth might make you less motivated to offer up a smile for the next photo opportunity.

A teeth cleaning can remove some surface stains, but not all. At Hendricks Dental Specialists in Brentwood, Tennessee, our professional dentists can whiten your teeth with advanced teeth whitening treatments for stain removal.

If you’re wondering how your teeth became yellow and what you can do to achieve a brighter smile, here’s what you should know.

How teeth become yellow

Multiple factors lead to yellow teeth. Yellow staining on your teeth might be due to:

Genetics

Your family history might make your teeth more yellow. If you have a parent or other immediate relative with yellow teeth, you’re more likely to get them.

Foods and drinks

Colorful foods and beverages can stain your teeth, especially if you don’t brush them right after eating or drinking. Some common examples include coffee, tea, balsamic vinegar, and berries.

Smoking

Nicotine from cigarettes or cigars can leave stains on your tooth enamel.

Enamel wear

As your enamel wears down over time, you can see more of the dentin layer showing through. When you see more dentin, your teeth appear less white.

Medications

Some medications, like tetracycline antibiotics, might cause a yellow tint on your teeth.

What you can do about yellow teeth

Yellow teeth aren’t an urgent dental condition. However, you might be interested in doing something about them. Brighter, whiter teeth can give you more confidence and might make you more likely to display your smile.

Brushing and flossing can help remove residue from staining substances, but routine oral hygiene can only go so far in brightening your teeth. That’s where whitening products and professional whitening treatments come in.

Teeth whitening pastes, mouthwashes, and whitening strips from the drugstore can whiten teeth a little, but professional whitening treatments are more intense and can lighten your teeth by several more shades.

How we can help

Hendricks Dental Specialists offers two professional whitening treatments for anyone wanting a whiter smile:

Zoom! Whitening

Zoom!® Whitening is an in-office teeth whitening procedure that makes your teeth much whiter in just one sitting. We apply hydrogen peroxide gel to the surfaces of your teeth. Then, we activate the bleaching process using a bright LED light.

In-office treatments take 30-45 minutes. Zoom! whitening also makes at-home whitening strips we can give you.

Sheer White! whitening strips

Sheer White!® whitening strips are thin, flexible strips you place over your teeth. They use carbamide peroxide to remove stains from the surfaces of your teeth. You can get comparable results to in-office professional whitening by using them for just five days.

Always use whitening products from Hendricks Dental Specialists according to our instructions.

Are you ready to improve the aesthetics of your smile by removing yellow tones? Call Hendricks Dental Specialists to book a consultation today.